The Best Episodes of Modern Family Season 1

#1 Fan Favorite
8.7/10(4499 votes)
#1 - My Funky Valentine
S1:E152/10/2010
Phil and Claire break from their traditional Valentine's Day dinner date and plan a little "role play" excursion. Meanwhile, Jay and Gloria's ideas of romance clash when he takes her to a comedy show, and Mitchell and Cameron play cupid for Manny.
Director:Michael Spiller
Writer:Jerry Collins
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Director:Michael Spiller
Writer:Jerry Collins
8.6/10(4950 votes)
#2 - Fizbo
S1:E911/25/2009
Nothing is too big when Phil and Claire decide to throw Luke the biggest and best birthday party a boy could ever want, but when Cameron shows up as Fizbo the Clown, it sets off a chain of events that ends with someone in the hospital.
Directors:Jason Winer, Randall Einhorn
Writer:Danny Zuker
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Directors:Jason Winer, Randall Einhorn
Writer:Danny Zuker
8.6/10(4201 votes)
#3 - Family Portrait
S1:E245/19/2010
Claire painstakingly plans for a new family portrait to be taken, but it seems like everything and everybody is working against her. Gloria and Manny go with Phil and Alex to a Lakers game and end up having a very awkward moment on the jumbotron; Luke interviews Jay for a school project, and Cameron gets a gig as a wedding singer while Mitchell is home alone with Lily and a wayward pigeon.
Director:Jason Winer
Writer:Ilana Wernick
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Director:Jason Winer
Writer:Ilana Wernick
8.5/10(4074 votes)
#4 - Hawaii
S1:E235/12/2010
Jay could not be more excited to do nothing but indulge and relax in this tropical paradise, but then an unexpected reality check dampens his plans. Meanwhile, Phil is determined to make this trip romantic for Claire, Mitchell and Cameron have opposing views on whether to sightsee or not to sightsee, and the kids get into a little bit of mischief when left to their own devices.
Director:Steven Levitan
Writers:Brad Walsh, Paul Corrigan
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Director:Steven Levitan
Writers:Brad Walsh, Paul Corrigan
8.2/10(6588 votes)
#5 - Pilot
S1:E19/23/2009
Jay has just recently married his younger, Colombian wife, Gloria, but he's having trouble keeping up with her and her son Manny. Claire is having trouble with her own family, especially with her husband Phil, who thinks he can be hip with his three kids. Also, Mitchell and his partner Cameron adopt a Vietnamese baby, Lily.
Director:Jason Winer
Writers:Christopher Lloyd, Steven Levitan
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Director:Jason Winer
Writers:Christopher Lloyd, Steven Levitan
8.2/10(4681 votes)
#6 - Coal Digger
S1:E510/21/2009
The whole family is invited to Jay and Gloria's for some barbeque and football. However an earlier incident at school between Manny and Luke makes things very awkward for Gloria and Claire, and then things escalate when a not-so-flattering label is uttered.
Director:Jason Winer
Writer:Christopher Lloyd
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Director:Jason Winer
Writer:Christopher Lloyd

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8.2/10(3856 votes)
#7 - Airport 2010
S1:E225/5/2010
For Jay's birthday, Gloria gives him the best surprise -- a romantic birthday getaway to Hawaii -- the only kicker is she invited the whole entire family to come along. Everyone arrives at the airport, and it's a maddening scene with forgotten I.D.'s, security breaches and flying phobias.
Director:Jason Winer
Writer:Dan O'Shannon
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Director:Jason Winer
Writer:Dan O'Shannon
8.1/10(5441 votes)
#8 - The Bicycle Thief
S1:E29/30/2009
Phil is determined to help Luke prove to mom that he is responsible enough to have the brand new bike they just got him. However Phil ends up being the irresponsible one when a hot neighbor clouds his judgment. Meanwhile Mitchell and Cameron take Lily to their first Mommy & Me class, and Jay and Manny have some awkward father and son time.
Director:Jason Winer
Writer:Bill Wrubel
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Director:Jason Winer
Writer:Bill Wrubel
8.1/10(4892 votes)
#9 - The Incident
S1:E410/14/2009
Claire and Mitchell's mother, Dede, drops in for a surprise visit and is determined to make amends with everyone she offended during what has been deemed "the incident" at Jay and Gloria's wedding. Needless to say, no one is thrilled to see her and everything comes to a head when the whole family shows up to dinner at Claire's house.
Director:Jason Winer
Writer:Steven Levitan
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Director:Jason Winer
Writer:Steven Levitan
8.0/10(4158 votes)
#10 - Undeck the Halls
S1:E1012/9/2009
Christmas is in full swing at the Dunphy house until the kids get in some trouble and Phil and Claire threaten to take away Christmas until one of them fesses up. Meanwhile, Jay struggles with wanting to stick to his holiday traditions while Gloria and Manny want to incorporate some of their Colombian practices, and Mitchell and Cameron take Lily to the mall for her first picture with Santa -- but end up with a disgruntled mall Santa on their hands.
Director:Randall Einhorn
Writer:Dan O'Shannon
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Director:Randall Einhorn
Writer:Dan O'Shannon
8.0/10(3997 votes)
#11 - Moon Landing
S1:E142/3/2010
Claire feels slightly inadequate when her old friend, Valerie, visits and is nothing like Claire remembered. Meanwhile Jay has an unsettling locker room moment when he and Cameron go play racquetball, and Mitchell tries to help Gloria with some legal problems
Director:Jason Winer
Writer:Bill Wrubel
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Director:Jason Winer
Writer:Bill Wrubel
8.0/10(3792 votes)
#12 - Starry Night
S1:E183/24/2010
Phil and Claire each tackle one of their kids' school projects; Jay and Mitchell set out on their traditional father-son outing to see the meteor showers, but Mitchell is surprised to see Manny will be joining them; and with the boys gone, Gloria and Cameron go out for some quality bonding time, but not without a few mishaps.
Director:Jason Winer
Writer:Danny Zuker
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Director:Jason Winer
Writer:Danny Zuker
7.9/10(4834 votes)
#13 - Come Fly with Me
S1:E310/7/2009
Phil pushes Jay to go out with him and fly his new model plane. While Manny takes time out to play with Luke, Gloria accompanies Alex in shopping for a dress. Later on, Manny ends up having a heart-to-heart talk with his sister Claire.
Directors:Reginald Hudlin, Jason Winer
Writer:Dan O'Shannon
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Directors:Reginald Hudlin, Jason Winer
Writer:Dan O'Shannon
7.9/10(4336 votes)
#14 - En Garde
S1:E711/4/2009
The whole family comes out to support Manny's newfound interest - fencing. It turns out he's quite masterful in the sport, but Jay's proud enthusiasm triggers an old childhood wound for Mitchell. Meanwhile Phil is determined to find where Luke's hidden talents lie.
Director:Randall Einhorn
Writer:Danny Zuker
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Director:Randall Einhorn
Writer:Danny Zuker
7.9/10(4074 votes)
#15 - Up All Night
S1:E111/6/2010
Gloria is less than pleased with Jay's reaction to the arrival of Javier, Manny's infamously unreliable dad. Meanwhile, Phil is suffering from kidney stones and his dramatics leave Claire no other choice but to call for the hot firemen to rush him to the hospital, and Mitchell and Cameron have a harder time than Lily as they attempt to sleep train her.
Director:Michael Spiller
Writer:Christopher Lloyd
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Director:Michael Spiller
Writer:Christopher Lloyd
7.9/10(4001 votes)
#16 - Fifteen Percent
S1:E131/20/2010
Mitchell plants the seed in Jay's head that he thinks one of Jay's old buddies might be secretly gay. Jay doesn't believe it for a second... except for all the questionable signs he now keeps noticing. Meanwhile Gloria gives Manny's date a makeover and Claire faces off with Phil's universal remote.
Director:Jason Winer
Writer:Steven Levitan
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Director:Jason Winer
Writer:Steven Levitan
7.8/10(4417 votes)
#17 - Great Expectations
S1:E811/18/2009
With a history of giving bad gifts, Claire is determined to surprise Phil with an amazing anniversary present: a private performance by one of their favorite musicians, Izzy LaFontaine. However, it turns out to be unexpected in more ways than one. Meanwhile, Mitchell and Cameron call up their "party-girl bestie", Sal, for a long overdue night out on the town.
Directors:Jason Winer, Randall Einhorn
Writers:Joe Lawson, Danny Zuker
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Directors:Jason Winer, Randall Einhorn
Writers:Joe Lawson, Danny Zuker
7.8/10(3796 votes)
#18 - Fears
S1:E163/3/2010
When Phil and Luke embark on a discovery expedition underneath the house, Phil tries not to let his fear of the dark and of creepy crawlies get the best of him. Meanwhile, Claire takes a nervous Haley to the DMV for her driver's test, Manny's sudden illness before a friend's amusement park birthday party makes Gloria suspicious, and Cameron and Mitchell invite Lily's pediatrician over for what turns out to be an anxiety-ridden brunch.
Director:Reginald Hudlin
Writer:Steven Levitan
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Director:Reginald Hudlin
Writer:Steven Levitan
7.8/10(3799 votes)
#19 - Truth Be Told
S1:E173/10/2010
After reconnecting on Facebook, Phil invites his old high school girlfriend to drop by the house, but this friendly visit quickly turns into trouble. Meanwhile Jay accidentally kills Manny's beloved pet turtle, then goes to extremes to cover his tracks, and an overworked Mitchell finally stands up to his boss.
Director:Jason Winer
Writer:Joe Lawson
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Director:Jason Winer
Writer:Joe Lawson
7.8/10(3745 votes)
#20 - Game Changer
S1:E193/31/2010
It could not be more perfect that Phil's birthday and the release date of a hot new product coincide, and he wants nothing so much as to be one of the first people to get one; this is Claire's mission. Meanwhile, before coming to Phil's party, Mitchell is preoccupied with a new found desire to toughen up, Cameron gets himself involved in a neighbor's marital problems, and it's Jay against Gloria and Manny in chess.
Director:Kevin Rodney Sullivan
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Kevin Rodney Sullivan
Writer:Unknown
7.7/10(4407 votes)
#21 - Run for Your Wife
S1:E610/28/2009
It's the first day back at school for the kids and, at the Dunphy house, Phil oversteps when he misreads how Claire is coping with an empty nest. Over at Jay's, he and Gloria are in disagreement over Manny's interesting choice of outfit for his first day of class, and Mitchell and Cameron freak out after Lily gets her first bump on the head.
Director:Jason Winer
Writers:Brad Walsh, Paul Corrigan
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Director:Jason Winer
Writers:Brad Walsh, Paul Corrigan
7.7/10(3969 votes)
#22 - Not In My House
S1:E121/13/2010
When Claire finds a dirty picture on the computer and assumes it's Luke's doing, a guilty Phil doesn't necessarily correct her. Jay and Gloria disagree over his beloved life-sized dog butler statue, and Cameron gets sucked into their gardener's woes, much to Mitchell's chagrin.
Director:Chris Koch
Writer:Caroline Goddard
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Director:Chris Koch
Writer:Caroline Goddard
7.7/10(3664 votes)
#23 - Travels with Scout
S1:E214/28/2010
Claire is caught off guard when Phil's father shows up in an RV with a little four legged friend, and she becomes suspicious that he might be hiding a larger reason for the visit. Meanwhile, when Cameron hears Dylan is down a drummer in his band, he enthusiastically offers to fill in, and Jay and Gloria have to pay the consequences of accidentally taking Manny to see a traumatizing horror movie.
Director:Seth Gordon
Writers:Brad Walsh, Paul Corrigan
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Director:Seth Gordon
Writers:Brad Walsh, Paul Corrigan
7.6/10(3644 votes)
#24 - Benched
S1:E204/14/2010
When Luke and Manny's hot-tempered basketball coach quits in the middle of a game, Jay and Phil both jockey to fill the position. Claire and Gloria each struggle with the realization that they might not be number one in their children's lives anymore, and Mitchell takes Cameron along to meet a prospective employer, but Cameron's big personality doesn't necessarily help to make a good impression.
Director:Chris Koch
Writer:Danny Zuker
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Director:Chris Koch
Writer:Danny Zuker